Kyiv: Ukraine announced on Monday that it has formally requested the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assist in humanitarian efforts in Russia’s Kursk region following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces. The request marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict, as Ukraine continues to assert control in areas within the region.
Ukrainian forces have maintained their presence in the Kursk region for over a month since launching the offensive. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has claimed that Kyiv now controls approximately 100 settlements in the area. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who visited the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy on Sunday, stated that he had directed his ministry to formally invite the UN and ICRC to join the humanitarian mission in the Kursk region. The ministry has since confirmed the issuance of these requests.
“Ukraine is ready to facilitate their work and prove its adherence to international humanitarian law,” Sybiha said on X following his visit to Sumy, from where Ukrainian forces initiated the cross-border attack. He emphasized that the Ukrainian army is actively working to provide humanitarian assistance and ensure safe passage for civilians in the Kursk region.
In a written statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry elaborated on the invitations extended to the ICRC and the UN, citing “the humanitarian situation and the need to properly ensure basic human rights in the territory of the Kursk region.” The ministry further requested that the ICRC monitor Ukraine’s adherence to international humanitarian law in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, which safeguard the victims of international armed conflicts.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Moscow, which initiated its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The UN and ICRC have not publicly commented on Ukraine’s invitation either.
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Meanwhile, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency reported on Monday that ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric is currently visiting Moscow and is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This development comes amid heightened tensions, particularly after last week’s incident where Russian shelling killed three Ukrainian ICRC workers and injured two others in the frontline Donetsk region. The attack drew condemnation from Spoljaric, who called for the protection of humanitarian workers in conflict zones.
